15 September 2009

HOW MANY WERE THERE?

Not surprisingly, there seems to have been a question raised about how many attended the tax protest rally in Washington, D.C. this past Saturday. The common estimate is 60,000, which is from the mainstream news media, and it's claimed this comes from the D.C. Fire Department. I have read in several places that no agencies in D.C. do crowd estimates any longer. It came right after the attendance at a gay rights protest and the Million Man March was estimated by the U.S. Park Police to be way below what the leadership of both claimed. Unlike now, you did not hear one word of objection accusing the leadership of these two events of falsely inflating the numbers.

According to the Los Angeles Times, The Daily Mail in England reported an attendance of around a million. Click HERE for the latest article dated September 14, 2009 in The Daily Mail. There's also a formula that the U.S. Park Police used to calculate the attendance to events taking place in the area of the National Mall. Simply put, the square footage of the Mall is known. The Park Police calculated a "standing room only" crowd where no one would be able to move, and another calculation based on a person taking up an average of five square feet. Click HERE to see the entire Washington Post article about it. Shown below are the illustrations on how they did it.



How Many People Can Fit on the Mall?


I watched the coverage of the event on C-SPAN. Every elevated camera shot showed the Mall being completely full, all the way from the Capitol building to the Washington Monument. There are also numerous photographs showing large numbers of people around the Monument, although not anywhere as densely packed as the Mall itself.

Below are a couple of excellent videos by Sophia Elena. The first one shows the crowds in and around the National Mall.





AND HEY, DID YOU HEAR about the left's attempt to counter the tax protest march with their own march on September 13th, the very next day? No???? Probably because this is something the liberals and their media cohorts are trying to forget and keep you from knowing. The reason is it was very easy to count the attendance at their event: 175. That's right, 175. Obama's ORGANIZING FOR AMERICA that boasts a membership of 13 million, publicized the event. Of course it's been pulled down off the website, but thanks to caching, one of the announcements is available by clicking HERE. In case it somehow disappears from there, here is the post:

The Details

March on Washington VENUE CHANGED! (Let's Get It Done: Health Insurance Reform Now Events)

UPDATE: There has been a MAJOR CHANGE. Instead of walking a route, we will meet at the UPPER SENATE PARK at 12:00 noon. This area is just north of the left side of the Capitol building, across Constitution Avenue. We will support and join Americans United for Health Care and Insurance Reform (not affiliated with OFA), who has done the leg work in getting a permit to gather for the rally. The capacity for the park/rally is 2500 people, and we hope to help them reach this goal and rally peacefully. Please do not congregate at any point of the old route, or you will be at risk for gathering without a permit. This listing is for informational purposes only and is part of the wider events of several groups, (OFA and others).

Tea party expressers, move over! Those of us supporting health insurance reform will rally in Washington D.C. on Sunday, September 13 gathering at 12:00 noon in the UPPER SENATE PARK The event is one day after the tea party, so let's show them a great turnout, just as we did to help elect the President. Let your voice be heard clearly for meaningful Health Insurance Reform Now!

Suggested optional accessories:
1) Signs! Make your own!
2) Video camera to document the event
3) Backpack or mini cooler with water and snacks
4) Portable folding chair or blanket
5) Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, small umbrella
6) Walking map of Capitol area and comfortable walking shoes

While we protest, let's respect our nation's capital by obeying all directives from the U.S. Capitol Police and the D.C. Metro police, and also avoiding the following:
1) Littering or defacing the grounds of the city
2) Bringing contraband or merchandise to sell without a permit
3) Engaging in overly aggressive confrontations with those opposed to our agenda
Time:Sunday, September 13 from 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Host:Raymond Dalessandro
Location:
UPPER SENATE PARK, just across Constitution Av. N.W. from the side of the Capitol building (Washington, DC)
200 New Jersey Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001
Directions:Groups chartering buses must get a trip permit. Apply online at District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (Google: District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles Trip Permit), or through the tmanetwork truck permit service (Google: tmanetwork). Coach USA (Google: Coach USA) is one of many good sources to charter a bus. A list of official bus parking locations is available on the District of Columbia Department of Transportation website (Google: District of Columbia Department of Transportation Bus Parking). Taking taxis or public transportation (buses or trains to Union Station) are also options. If you can get someone to drive you, a good dropping off point would be Union Station, or R.F.K. Stadium and take the Metro to the event.
:Join Organizing for America members across the country in sending their members of Congress back to D.C. with a clear message about health insurance reform: Let's Get It Done!

Other Signups

137 people have signed up to attend this event.
The capacity limit is 2500 attendees.

___________________________________

Click HERE to read the article on Politico about Robert Reich's call for the march, and this same article also appeared in the Huffington Post (click HERE). In addition, the event was also publicized by the extreme leftist blog Daily Kos. Click HERE to see it. On the Daily Kos, Reich stated the reason he was promoting the march: "I just want Congress to know how many Americans want universal health care." Well, Mr. Reich, you can count on 175!

Now, here's Sophia Elena's report on the liberals' response:




And one more thing. About former President Jimmy Carter's remark that was on the news today saying that racism is linked to animosity towards President Obama? See below:




I think the fella nailed it!

4 comments:

Slapinions said...

Great post, and I mean that! I'm so sick of the left creating numbers out of thin air to prove whatever it is they want at the moment - in this case, to disparage the protests. Dissent, remember, is only patriotic when it's done by a good ol' fashioned Liberal!

Frankly, I may be obliged to borrow some of your work in a post of my own.

Again, good job! Spread the word my man!

Heli gunner Tom said...

Jimmy,
I am beginning to think that some things will NEVER change-- like the Lefty-Dims and oinks who play the race card when ever they can win on merit. I don't think I am skilled enough to win those oinks over to literacy or common sense.... but I think the misled Independents are starting to see the light now.
Good post!

Tom S

Mik said...

Y'know...
If this wasn't the truth about Sept 13th, I'd swear that it was a parody in the tradition of Spinal Tap. Sad actually. But even sadder is the left trying to marginalize Sept 12th... and their efforts didn't work either...

Mik

natalie said...

Dirk
Did you serve in the forces?
I want to wish you a Happy Veterans Day and please go to my blog adn thank veterans!
hugs,natalie